The Color of Love
by morningstone33
Summary: Based off the Tumblr prompt: You will be able to see the world in full color once you meet your soulmate, but until then, you can only see the world in the eye color of your soulmate. However, you can alter the color your soulmate can see by wearing special contact lenses. Only updating on ao3, cuz FF hates me: archiveofourown(.)org/works/5222540/chapters/12042344


"Dai-chan!" Satsuki pouts from across the kotatsu, sticking out her bottom lip and narrowing her bright yellow eyes. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

Aomine flicks his eyes over to his best friend and grunts, leaving his chin in his hand, before looking out the window again. The frost on the window is growing, crawling up the edges as the wind sweeps over the glass.

Satsuki huffs and leans forward, curling up and taking a shallow sip of her homemade Shirley Temple. "Why do I bother sometimes?" she asks, crisscrossing her legs.

With a sigh, Aomine turns back to Satsuki. "What is it?" he yawns, adjusting his cheek on his hand.

"I said," she starts again, raising her volume in distress with each passing word, "Micchan can see more colors now!"

"Why should I care?" Aomine grumbles, letting his eyelids fall shut. If only he had one of Mai-chan's magazines to keep his boredom at bay.

"She keeps bragging about it too, always talking about her soulmate," Satsuki mutters, slightly bitter. "Ah, I want to meet mine too! I can't even imagine what the world must look like in full colors," she lets out a short laugh and falls backwards, lying on the floor, wild hair in disarray.

Satsuki shivers, pulling her sleeveless arms off the hardwood and wrapping them around her. "Dai-chan, can't you turn up the heat? It's already October."

"Put on a jacket, that doesn't cost me money," he retorts, giving her a raised eyebrow and glancing over through half-lidded eyes, "usually."

Satsuki rolls back up to her sitting position with a grin, fishing the cherry out of her drink and popping it into her mouth. After a moment, she swallows and sticks out her tongue, presenting Aomine with the twisted cherry stem. "Mm?" she prods, grin widening.

Aomine can't help the thin smirk that pulls at his lips. "Talent," he snorts, getting up from his floor and moving over to the thermostat. He kicks the notch up a couple degrees before returning to his living room, where Satsuki continues venting about "Micchan's" newfound lover.

It hasn't ever really bothered Aomine, only seeing one color. In fact, it's always been strangely comforting. Everywhere he looks, gold is there. Different shades based on what he's looking at, sure, but still gold. Despite how easily things used to bore him, staring at a partly-cloudy, yellow sky from the rooftop of Touou Academy as a teenager was always calming. He spent a lot of his high school time there when he was skipping classes or basketball practice. Yet, even as a 24-year-old adult, the color still brings him the same sense of peace.

He likes the name of it too. Gold. Yellow. The way it slips through his lips as clear as air. He found out his color's the name same way everyone else did; the color reader. Shortly after birth, when being tested for diseases and health issues, babies get put in a color reader. The egg-shaped incubator scans babies' eyes and reports to the doctors the name of the color that child will grow up seeing.

Truth be told, he doesn't really care what other colors there are in the world. He's fine with his life. He still gets bored sometimes, sure, but it's fine. He likes working for the city's police force, he likes the time he spends with his friends, and he likes his comforting yellow. He doesn't need someone barreling through and throwing off his game, even if they are his soulmate. Besides, how does the universe know he'll even fall in love with his "soulmate?" All he knows about them is that, since the only color he's ever been able to see is a deep yellow, his destined partner must have that eye color. He's open to a woman with big breasts, though. That would be fine.

Even without such a woman, the color is enough. Throughout his life, the good and the bad, the thick and the thin, his color had always been there; by default, but still. Satsuki usually had been too, but there were some things he'd always kept to himself, especially when his apathy began suffocating him in middle school, when basketball just wasn't enough. But his golden vision grounded him and supported him all his life. Whenever he's bored, frustrated, and maybe even a little lonely, it's there, shining just for him. And that, paired with his life as it is now, is all he needs.

"Da-i-chaan!" Satsuki whines, tapping her nails against the wooden table. "Did you zone out again?"

"I was listening. Just repeat the whole thing so I know I got it all," Aomine replies, suppressing a smirk when Satsuki throws her arms up in frustration.

"Seriously, why do I bother?!" she whines, burying her face in her hands. Not more than an instant later, her head shoots up and bright golden eyes are bearing into Aomine. He flinches slightly, not looking forward to whatever just made her excitement level shoot up.

"Oh, Dai-chan!" she squeals, eyes shining. "I almost forgot- Did you hear about the special contact lenses that are being sold now?"

"The what?"

"Contac- I'm not going to keep repeating myself," she purses her lips and squints, excitement momentarily bottled. "Are you actually going to listen or should I just come back tomorrow?" She crosses her arms.

"Sorry, sorry," Aomine waves a hand before leaning back over the tabletop toward her. "What 'hip' new product's caught your eye this time, Satsuki?"

Her lips quirk back into a grin as she explains, "I saw on TV yesterday that advancements in scientific research have yielded special contact lenses that can change your eye color!"

Aomine repositions his arms in an attempt to disguise his peaked curiosity, but Satsuki notices the way his eyes widen ever so slightly.

"They're really, really expensive, but multiple studies have shown that the colors of the contact lenses worn can actually change the color your soulmate sees!" Satsuki continues, leaning forward on the table. "Basically, since the colored contacts are special medical products, when you put them in your eyes, you don't notice the change in your vision's color, but your soulmate will," she explains.

Aomine's eyebrows begin to narrow. "And people are buying these?"

Tilting her head and narrowing her own brows, Satsuki questions, "What, you think it's a bad idea? It sounds really cool. Now your soulmate can see other colors even if you haven't found them yet."

"I didn't say it was a bad idea," he starts, waving his hand at Satsuki again and lying down on the floor, "I don't give a rat's ass about what fad the general public is into these days." Resting his arms behind his head, Aomine closes his eyes. "Just seems stupid."

Sliding out of her seat and crawling over to where Aomine lies on the hardwood, Satsuki kneels in front of her childhood friend. She rests her elbows on her knees and settles her chin in her hands, peering down at him. "You wouldn't want to try them on, Dai-chan?" she continues pestering. "You wouldn't want to let your fated love see more than just one color? It gets boring only seeing the same tint! Since even things like sunglasses don't change what your soulmate sees, this is amazing!" Her pout goes unnoticed by Aomine, who looks as though he's falling asleep.

"Sure, it's a 'breakthrough for modern-day science,' I just don't see why it's necessary," he yawns. "People just don't appreciate what they have nowadays."

Feeling light touches on his side, Aomine scowls and swats at the fingers poking his midsection. "Oi-"

"Aww, Dai-chan!" Satsuki squeals, "You're still a hopeless romantic!" She beams at him so brightly from her spot on the floor that her eyes squeeze shut, and she doesn't even bother trying to suppress the soft giggle that emerges. "I'm glad that part of you hasn't ever changed."

Running a hand through his short, dark locks, Aomine scoffs and rolls his eyes. "I'm not romantic," he mumbles, "Just realistic."

The pair sits in a comfortable silence for a few moments. The air settles around them as Aomine lightly dozes and Satsuki watches him, a fond sparkle in her eyes. Too soon for Aomine, Satsuki stands and breaks the silence.

"Well, I should probably get going," Satsuki stretches her arms above her head and yawns, feeling refreshed after spending time with Aomine. Checking her phone quickly, she reports, "The trains are going to stop running soon." Aomine nods and pushes himself up off the floor.

Standing to his full height, he saunters over to the coat closet by the front door of his apartment and grabs himself a dark hoodie. "Need one?" he offers, rolling his head back to glance at Satsuki.

"That's okay, mine should be enough," she says as she shrugs on her pale jacket and quickly marches into the kitchen, setting her empty glass in the sink.

Sliding a hand into his pocket to make sure he has his key with him, Aomine closes the closet door and slips on his shoes. "Ready?" he inquires, moving over toward the front door and opening it after Satsuki nods in confirmation.

Stepping out into the cold winter air, Satsuki shivers, digging her hands deeper into her pockets to savor any warmth she can find. "Too cold!"

Aomine makes a "tsk" sound from behind and wraps his scarf around her neck. "Idiot." Shutting and locking the door behind them, Aomine takes his place beside Satsuki and they begin toward the train station. Not more than a minute into their ten-minute walk, however, Satsuki's voice pops out of the scarf.

"Dai-chan?" she asks, her voice quiet. Aomine almost misses the quake in it. He turns his head to look at her and pauses mid-step when he sees that she's already stopped walking. His gaze settles on frosted cheeks since her mouth is hidden behind cloth.

"What if we never find them?" Satsuki whispers, another shiver running down her spine. "The people we were born to be with. Will we be stuck seeing the same color our whole lives?"

She sniffles, burying her face deeper into the scarf, eyes staring holes in the sidewalk. The light from the closest streetlamp doesn't fully reach her, but casts shadows over Aomine as he stands beneath it a few paces ahead of her.

"And that little, nagging feeling in my chest," Satsuki continues, "I know you feel it too. Like something's missing, but you can't quite place what it is."

"Satsuki-"

"Will we always feel incomplete?"

Her eyelids rise, and Aomine is met with a pained gaze, devoid of its usual brightness. Her cheeks are tinted from the chill, but the rest of her face is pale. The snow dances around her, sticking to her hair. In any other scenario, she'd look beautiful surrounded by the frost. But the hollowness of her eyes instead makes it frightening.

Despite the heaviness that settles in his steps, Aomine moves toward his best friend. Away from the harsh glare of the streetlamp, he moves into the shadows and rests his hand on Satsuki's head. He smooths her hair down gently, pulling her head into his chest before her shoulders begin to shake. It's subtle, but the cold wetness seeping through his shirt is the only conformation he needs.

Aomine holds her as the city of Tokyo rushes on. The cars, the people, the time – they don't wait for anything or anyone. Even at night, the city is crowded, and no one takes any notice of the two standing on the side of the walkway. Even away from the streetlight's gaze, they aren't completely in the dark. The lights from nearby shops and passing cars is enough to illuminate their surroundings. Japan's own city that never sleeps.

A few minutes tick by before Satsuki lays a soft hand on Aomine's chest, pushing back enough to wipe at her eyes. She doesn't meet his gaze, missing the twinge of worry that resides there. After soaking up any residual liquid with her sleeve, she smiles fondly up at Aomine. Before he can say anything, however, she strolls toward the station again.

The walk seems shorter than usual. The silence between the pair isn't uncomfortable, but it puts a weighted distance between them. Before Aomine realizes it, they're at the subway entrance. His gaze focuses back on Satsuki, who pauses by the stairs for a moment before turning to face him.

"Sorry, Dai-chan," she breathes, a wispy chuckle falling from her lips. "I didn't mean to mess up your shirt."

"Yeah, well," he rubs the back of his neck and tilts his gaze to the side. "You can make it up to me by telling me whenever you feel this way again." He coughs in an attempt to lodge the awkwardness from his throat, clearly not used to these "heart-to-hearts" despite how long he's known her. "We're in the same boat here, Satsuki."

Satsuki blinks and stares for a moment, swearing she sees a tinge of color in his cheeks, before her lips break out in a tender smile.

"Thanks, Dai-chan." She takes a step toward the long stairwell and waves, "See you soon!"

And with that, she pivots back around, making her descent toward the trains. Aomine is left standing outside the entrance, watching her leave until the top of her bright golden hair is no longer visible.

By the time Aomine reaches his apartment, he swears the temperature's dropped at least 10°F.

I'm surprised I don't have icicles hanging off me, he thinks, trying to stomp the cold from his feet. Slipping out of his shoes and coat, he meanders out of his entryway. His apartment is modest in size and décor, and while being a policeman in Tokyo pays well-enough for a bigger place, he likes the smallness of it all – it's comfortable, familiar.

Aomine stands in the entrance for a moment, deciding if he's hungry enough to bother cooking anything. The kitchen is straight ahead, but the couch is only ten steps to the left. Checking his watch, he figures he might as well eat before it gets too late.

He pads into the kitchen and fixes two quick peanut butter sandwiches, leaning against the counter to eat them, before returning to the living room. Licking creamy residue off his bottom lip, Aomine grabs the TV remote and turns it on, flipping through the channels for a mindless show or two before bed. In the midst of switching shows, he sees a giant image of an eye on the screen. It reminds him of the contact lenses Satsuki was ranting about earlier, so he pauses.

"Wow, those really are exciting, aren't they?" the infomercial host exclaims, cooing over the lenses presented before her.

"These state-of-the-art lenses are really incredible. They can actually change the color a soulmate who still only receives a single hue sees," the suited guest explains, presenting more information on a screen behind him. "If you look here-"

The shock from noise to silence leaves a quiet buzzing in Aomine's ear. He sticks his pinky in it and scowls.

"Stupid fad," he mutters, making his way to his room. He takes a right out of the living room and passes the kitchen on his left, walking down the short hallway to the bedroom. Not bothering to perform any act of hygiene that night, Aomine strips down to his boxers, flips off the lights, and falls onto his bed. Making sure his alarm is set for 6:00 am, he pulls his dark comforter over his waist.

Aomine stares at the ceiling for a moment, mentally preparing himself for the week ahead.

I hate Sundays, he curses internally. As much as he enjoys his work, Mondays are obviously the worst day of the week, and having to think about waking up the next morning makes him groan. He rolls over onto his stomach, pressing his ear into his pillow, and lets his lids fall.

His vision turns to darkness, and as his mind follows suit, he's left with the single thought: Different colors, huh? Maybe that wouldn't be so bad…


End file.
